Assembly and

Installation of
NSK Linear Guides
(General Industrial Applications)
Worldwide Sales Offices
NSK Ltd.-Headquarters, Tokyo, Japan www.nsk.com Switzerland:
Americas & Europe Department tel: 03-3779-7120 Waelzlager Industriewerke Bulle AG (W.I.B.)
Asia Marketing & Sales Department tel: 03-3779-7121 New Zealand: www.nsk-rhp.co.nz Bulle tel: 026-9191100
Africa NSK New Zealand Ltd. Turkey:
South Africa: Auckland tel: (09) 276-4992 NSK Bearings Middle East Trading Co., Ltd.
NSK South Africa (Pty) Ltd. Philippines: Istanbul tel: 90-216-442-7106
NSK representative office United Kingdom:
Johannesburg tel: (011) 458 3600
Manila tel: 02-759-6246 NSK Bearings Europe Ltd.
Asia and Oceania Singapore:
Australia: www.nskaustralia.com.au Peterlee, England tel: 0191-586-6111
NSK International (Singapore) Pte Ltd. NSK European Technology Co., Ltd.
NSK Australia Pty. Ltd. Singapore tel: (65) 273 0357
Melbourne tel: (03) 9764-8302 Ruddington, England tel: 0115-940-5409
NSK Singapore (Pte) Ltd.
China: NSK UK Ltd.
Singapore tel: (65) 278 1711
NSK Hong Kong Ltd. Newark, England tel: 0163-660-5123
Taiwan:
Hong Kong tel: 2739-9933 NSK Steering Systems Europe Ltd.
Taiwan NSK Precision Co., Ltd.
Kunshan NSK Co., Ltd. Taipei tel: 02-2591-0656 Coventry, England tel: 024-76-588588
Kunshan tel: 0520-7305654 Thailand: North and South America
Guizhou HS NSK Bearings Co., Ltd. NSK Bearings (Thailand) Co., Ltd. NSK Americas, Inc. (American Headquarters)
Anshun tel: 0853-3521505 Bangkok tel: 02-6412150~58 Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A. tel: 734-913-7500
NSK (Shanghai) Trading Co., Ltd. NSK Safety Technology (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Argentina:
Shanghai tel: 021-62099051 Chonburi tel: (038) 214-317-8 NSK Argentina SRL
NSK representative office Siam NASTECH Co., Ltd. Buenos Aires tel: 011-4762-6556
Beijing tel: 010-6590-8161 Chachoengsao tel: (038) 522-343~350 Brazil: www.br.nsk.com
NSK representative office Europe NSK Brasil Ltda.
Shanghai tel: 21-6209-9051 NSK Europe Ltd. São Paulo tel: 011-3269-4700
NSK representative office (European Headquarters) www.eu.nsk.com Canada: www.ca.nsk.com
Guangzhou tel: 020-8732-0583 Maidenhead, England tel: 0162-850-9800 NSK Canada Inc.
NSK representative office France: Toronto tel: 905-890-0740
Anshun tel: 0853-3522522 NSK France S.A. Mexico:
India: Paris tel: 01 30 57 39 39 NSK Rodamientos Mexicana, S.A. de C.V.
Rane NASTECH Ltd. Germany: Mexico City tel: 5-301-2741
Chennai tel: 04114-65313, 65314, 65365, 66002 NSK Deutschland Gmbh United States of America: www.us.nsk.com
NSK representative office Düsseldorf tel: 02102-481-0 NSK Corporation
Chennai tel: 044-4334732 NSK Steering Systems Europe Ltd.
Ann Arbor, Michigan tel: 734-913-7500
Stuttgart tel: 0771-79082-277
Indonesia: Sales Offices:
Neuweg Fertigung Gmbh
P.T. NSK Bearings Manufacturing Indonesia Ann Arbor, Michigan tel: 734-913-7500
Munderkingen tel: 07393-540
Jakarta tel: 021-898-0155 Santa Fe Springs, California tel: 562-968-1000
Italy:
Korea: NSK American Technical Center
NSK Italia S.P.A.
NSK Korea Co., Ltd. Milano tel: 02-995-191 Ann Arbor, Michigan tel: 734-913-7500
Seoul tel: 02-3287-0300 Poland: NSK Precision America, Inc.
NSK Korea Co., Ltd., Changwon Plant NSK Europe Ltd. Warsaw Liaison Office Franklin, Indiana tel: 317-738-5038
Changwon tel: 0551-287-6001 Warsaw tel: 48-22-645-1525, 1526 San Jose, California tel: 408-944-9400
Malaysia: NSK Iskra S.A. www.npa.nsk.com
NSK Bearings (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. Kielce tel: 48-41-366-6111 NKS Steering Systems America
Kuala Lumpur tel: 03-7958-4396 Spain: Bennington, Vermont tel: 802-442-5448
NSK Micro Precision (M) Sdn. Bhd. NSK Spain S.A. NSK Latin America Inc. www.la.nsk.com
Kuala Lumpur tel: 03-961-6288 Barcelona tel: 93-575-4041 Miami, Florida tel: (305) 477-0605

NSK Ltd. has a basic policy not to export any products or technology designated as controlled items by export-related laws. When exporting the products in this
brochure, the laws of the exporting country must be observed. Specifications are subject to change without notice and without any obligation on the part of the
manufacturer. Every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the data contained in this brochure, but no liability can be accepted for any loss or damage
suffered through errors or omissions. We will gratefully acknowledge any additions or corrections.

LG Handbook Printed in Canada © NSK 2005.

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 Linear Guide: Handling Precautions Assembly Instructions for the K1™
NSK linear guides are high quality and easy (3) Precautions in use
Lubrication Unit
to use. NSK places importance on safety in 1. Slide linear bearing on to the linear rail, using the plastic
design. For maximum safety, please follow provisional rail supplied.
precautions as outlined below.
2. Remove the grease fitting from the end of the bearing.
(1) Lubrication
3. Remove the Phillips screws (2 pieces).
Do not contaminate. Temperature limitation.
4. Remove the end lubrication unit from end of bearing.
Confirm lubrication. 5. For maintenance free operation, install threaded plug; for re-greasing
option, see points 10 & 11 below.
a. Remove the rust preventative
rail-coating before installation. If you 6. Install the cover plate from the K1™ lubrication unit kit to the end of
Do not hang upside down.
are using oil as a lubricant, consult bearing, against the end cap.
NSK for compatibility issues with a. Make every effort not to allow dust and 7. Install K1™ lubrication unit without fixing rings, so it can be
the pre-packed factory grease. foreign objects to enter the ball slide. expanded over the rail.
(2) Handling b. The operating environment for the
8. Put the three (3) fixing rings in position on the K1™ lubrication unit.
linear guide should not exceed 80°C
(excluding heat-resistant types). 9. Replace the end seal , in front of the K1™ lubrication unit.
A higher temperature may damage
the plastic end cap. 10. Install connector screw for grease fitting.

c. If the user cuts the rail, thoroughly 11. Replace the grease fitting in connector screw.
Handle with care. Do not disassemble. remove burrs and sharp edges on the 12. Install the extension Phillips screws (2 pieces, supplied with the
cut surface.
K1™ lubrication unit kit).
d. When mounted upside-down (e.g. the
Note
rail is installed on the ceiling such that
the ball slide faces downward), damage The K1™ lubrication unit has a shelf life. It should be installed
Do not drop. Do not use direct force.
to the end cap may cause the balls to immediately upon receipt. It is important to avoid direct sunlight and
fall out, and the balls slide to become extreme heat conditions.
a. Interchangeable ball slides (randomly
detached from the rail and fall.
matched with rail) are installed to the
For such use, take measures including
provisional rail when they leave the
installing a safety device.
factory. Handle the ball slide with care
during installation to the rail. (4) Storage

b. Do not disassemble the guide unless

absolutely necessary.
c. Ball slide will move easily. Make sure Store in the correct position.
that the ball slide does not disengage
from the rail. a. Linear rail may bend if stored
inappropriately. Place it on a suitable
d. Standard end cap is made of plastic
surface, and store it in a flat position.
and may break if a direct force is applied.

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 K1™ Handling Instructions Installation Procedures
To maintain the NSK K1™ lubrication unit over a long period of time,
Thank you for choosing NSK linear guides. This manual briefly describes
please follow these instructions.
the recommended handling and installation of NSK linear guides for general
industrial use.

Ball Slide There are two methods of installing linear guides. The first uses a datum
shoulder on the mounting base to provide accurate horizontal alignment.
The other method uses the first rail as a reference for the second rail and
NSK K1™ is generally used when smooth motion versus high accuracy is required.

NSK recommends the interchangeable series LH and LS linear guides for

general industrial applications. Their self-aligning feature means a greater
tolerance for alignment errors and less time spent on installation. Also, they
are interchangeable between rail and slider, easily allowing the addition or
replacement of parts.
End (rubber) seal

End (rubber) seal

Rail

1. Max. operating temperature: 50°C (122°F)

Max. peak temperature: 80°C (176°F)
If not installed immediately, they should be kept refrigerated.
Avoid storage in direct sunlight.
Provisional rail.
2. Never leave the linear guide in close proximity to grease-removing organic
solvents such as hexane, thinners, etc. Never immerse the linear guide in
kerosene or rust preventative oils which contain kerosene.

For interchangeable LH and LS Series linear guides, the ball slides and the rails
are stocked separately. The ball slides are mounted on plastic provisional rails
Note
that allows for easy transfer of the ball slide to and from the steel rail.
Other oils such as: water-based cutting oil, oil-based cutting oil, grease (mineral
oil-AS2, ester-PS2) present no problems to the K1™ lubrication units performance.

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 The ball slides are designed with This section describes the allowable tolerances for installation in order to
retaining wires to prevent the balls maximize the performance of NSK linear guides.
from falling out when they are We recommend that the mounting errors e1 or e2 do not exceed the values
removed from the rail. However, shown in the tables below. Consult “Precision Machine Components” catalog
NSK recommends that the ball for linear guide series not shown.
slide be stored on a provisional
rail prior to installation to prevent
contamination from dust and other
foreign objects.

The following is a description of how the ball slide should be removed from
and replaced on the linear guide rail.
Recommended allowable installation error of the LS Series (Maximum) Unit: µm
The ball slide is held on the provisional rail using a rubber band. The rubber
Model No. 15 20 25 30 35
band should catch the bottom channel in the provisional rail and then twist Item
around to secure the ball slide. Clearance Permissible values of parallelism
in two rails : e1 20 22 30 35 40
Z0, ZT Permissible values of parallelism 375µm/500mm
(height) in two rails : e2
Preload Permissible values of parallelism 15 17 20 25 30
in two rails : e1
Z1, ZZ Permissible values of parallelism 330µm/500mm
(height) in two rails : e2

Recommended allowable installation error of the LH Series (Maximum) Unit: µm

Model No. 20 25 30 35 45 55 65
Item

Clearance Permissible values of parallelism 30 40 45 55 65 80 110

in two rails : e1
Z0, ZT Permissible values of parallelism 375µm/500mm
When transferring the ball slide from the provisional rail onto the rail, or vice (height) in two rails : e2
versa, butt the provisional rail up against the rail and slide the ball slide directly Preload Permissible values of parallelism 20 25 30 35 45 55 70
in two rails : e1
from one onto the other. It is a good idea to secure the ball slide onto the Z1, ZZ Permissible values of parallelism
(height) in two rails : e2 330µm/500mm
provisional rail with a rubber band after removal from the rail.

If the error readings are equal to or less than the above values, you have
correctly assembled the parts. For maximum accuracy, keep the readings
Provisional rail. below what is shown in the table.
If your readings are greater than these values, it is necessary to remove
the parts and start over. Please contact your local NSK office with any
Linear guide rail. questions or for assistance. Visit www.nsk.com for contact information.

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 For Greater Accuracy of If a ball is accidentally dropped
General Machinery from the ball slide, it should be
cleaned and replaced to the
When bolting the first rail on the
appropriate groove. The correct
machine base, align it straight using
groove can be determined by the
a straightedge and a dial indicator.
size of the clearance between the
Bolt on the rail at the both ends balls (the groove missing the ball
lightly, and position a straightedge will have greater clearance than
beside it. Set the straightedge the other grooves). It is normal
parallel to the rail measuring to have a gap of 1.5 ball
distance A1 and A2 by a vernier diameters in each groove.
calipers or some other accurate
measuring tool.

Move the dial indicator along the straightedge, and take readings at every The following section describes how to install the linear guides on the machine.
bolt hole along the rail. Make fine adjustment of the rail to the straightedge
until the desired reading is made, and tighten the bolt to the specified torque.
Ball slides and rails are supplied separately. Each is wrapped in vinyl sheet, and
When all of the bolts have been tightened, slide the dial indicator from
packed in a container.
one end of the rail to the other to ensure that the desired straightness
has been achieved.

Plastic and brass rail caps are

Position the dial indicator on two ball
an available option for use in
slides on the reference rail as shown
high contamination areas to
in the diagram. Tighten bolts of the
prevent debris build-up in the
adjusting side rail sequentially from
bolt holes which may damage
the one end while noting the reading
the slider. Please request these
of the dial indicator.
at time of order. Brass cap.
Straightness of NSK linear guides Plastic cap.
is controlled so that it can be
easily adjusted manually for
easy installation.

During installation, it is recommended that accuracy is checked to ensure

smooth operation.

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 The rail is always shipped with rust preventive oil, which should be wiped off The rail that has been tightened can now be used as a reference rail. Using a
before use. LH and LS Series ball slides are pre-packed with grease, so no vernier calipers or other accurate tool, measure the distance between the two
cleaning is required prior to installation. rails, and adjust each end until they are the same. Tighten a bolt snugly at each
end of the rail.
Now the linear guide is ready for installation. Place it carefully on the
mounting surface.

The next step is to install the

For Smooth Motion of General Machinery
table, and to use the table to
Snugly tighten the mounting bolts align the rails.
temporarily so that the rail
is firmly against the bed.

Firmly bolt the table to ball slides

1 and 2 on the secured rail as
shown in the diagram. Then
Then tighten the bolts with a
position ball slide 3 at the left end
torque wrench to the specified
of the adjusting rail, and bolt the
torque starting from one end.
table to this ball slide. Move the
ball slide 3 to right and bolt the
table to the ball slide 4.

In NSK linear guides, the mounting bolt holes are processed after heat Move the table to one end of the
treatment using a precision machining center; therefore, the bolt hole pitch rails, and start tightening the
accuracy is as good as the positioning accuracy of the machine, which is adjusting rail bolt sequentially to
considered very good. the specified torque while checking
excessive friction of table
When tightening the bolts, be sure to start at one end and work in order to the
movement. Continue moving the
other end. If the bolts are tightened at the middle first, it tends to leave the rail
table down the rail, tightening each
curved. If you suspect this has happened, loosen the bolts and start again.
adjacent bolt.

This method of assembly is for general industrial machinery where smooth

linear motion is the overall objective. When precision accuracy is required,
read on to the following procedure.

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